Multiple holding arrangement

ABSTRACT

The multiple holding arrangement according to the invention consists of two guide plates of the same kind, which are specially shaped and provided with rows of lamination-like resilient web portions comprising widenings. The resilient web portions serve to compensate for thickness tolerances of plug-in units, and the widenings serve to avoid overstretchings of the web portions in the case of twisted plug-in units.

United States Patent Burgard et al. [451 June 13, 1972 [54] MULTIPLE HOLDING ARRANGEMENT 3,177,407 4/1965 Paterson ..317/101 3,098,177 7/1963 Bleier ....317/ll [72] Inventors: Erns Burgar T mm; Jiirnjochen Gross, 3,511,385 /1970 Ayling ..211/4l Stuttgart-Freiberg, both of Germany 3,409,140 11/1968 Woolf ..21 1/41 X [73] Asslgnee: i x i igfi fi st Electric Cama- Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr.

Attorney-C. Cornell Remsen, Jr., Walter J. Baum, Paul W. [22] Filed: June 9, 1970 Hemminger, Charles L. Johnson, Jr., Philip M. Bolton, lsidore T t pp No: 44,829 ogu ,Edward Goldberg and MenottlJ Lombardi Jr ABSTRACT Fmign Application Priority The multiple holding arrangement according to the invention June 12, 1969 Germany ..P 19 29 768.8 censists 9f two guide Plates of the Same kind. which are cially shaped and provided with rows of lamination-like 52 us. c1 ..211/41, 317/100 resilient Pmions mmprisinfl i Thc mill s 1 Int. Cl ..A47g 19/08 P" Serve thickm mlmnm [58] Field of Search 1/41. 317/100 101 D 10] DH in units, and the widenings serve to avoid overstretchings of the web portions in the case of twisted plug-in units. [56] References Cited 6 Claims, 7 n u g wm UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,271,626 9/1966 Howrilka., ..317/101 12 9 1 l H l I l fi'fi l mx 1\ 1 t 1' t 'T' I II 11L ,1 ll 51 we 19,, E V

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INVENTORS ERNST 80R GARO ATTORNEY 1' I EC] 73 [II INVENTQRS gmvsr AURGARb JURIVJOCHE/V CROSS ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1972 3,669,279-

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. INVENTQRS I QIVS7 BUR CARD JURNUOCHEN G oss ATTORNEY MULTIPLE HOLDING ARRANGEMENT The present invention relates to a multiple holding arrangement for holding in positions plurality of plug-in units used in the communications art.

Considering the continuous progress in miniaturizing the equipments used in communications engineering, the types of construction employing plug-in units or panels require correspondingly adapted guides and holding arrangements. These holding arrangements must satisfy the requirements for interchangeability, a wide range of climate, low weight and a simple construction.

Hitherto, there have become known guide ledges or guiding strips of plastics material, holding arrangements of metal with plastics insertions, or milled guide grooves. All of these devices require an expensive individual mounting or else a rather circumstantial processing by machine, without providing a sufficient mechanical reliability in the case of more severe and changing loads. Moreover, frequently appearing thickness tolerances of the plug-in units, for example, i 0.3 millimeter in the case of copper-coated conductor boards, cannot be compensated for. An exact guiding and holding in the conventional devices, could only be achieved by an investment which, however, would be in contradiction to the principle of miniaturization and simplicity.

The present invention is based on the problem of providing a holding arrangement of the type mentioned hereinbefore, by

which it is enabled, when providing a corresponding anangement, that a plurality of plug-in units or panels, at the tightest packing density, can be exactly guided and firmly retained in position. According to the invention this is accomplished in that the multiple holding arrangement consists of two guide plates of the same type each comprising two rows of resilient web portions arranged in the way of laminations which are pressed out of the mounting plane which is constituted by a middle strip and two mounting edges and which, in the assem bled condition, are facing one another, with these web portions being provided with widenings in the middle.

In one advantageous type of embodiment of the holding arrangement the widenings, on the side facing the indentations, are provided with abutting surfaces for the plug-in units, and the second longitudinal side is expanded to such an extent that, in the case of an improper insertion (twisting) of a plugin unit, prior to reaching the stretching limit of the resilient partial members of the web portions, there will be effected a touching and abutting with the neighboring web portions.

Moreover, it is provided that both the edges and the middle strip contain recesses, holes with a passage and a thread, or holes for the mounting purpose.

It is also of advantage to provide vent holes consisting of fields of holes, in the mounting edge portions.

In one further embodiment of the invention, and in the assembled state, one mounting edge ends up in a bent portion pointing towards the inside, with this portion being subdivided by indentations into individual hooks. On these hooks, for the purpose of assigning the plug-in unit and the plug-in position, there are provided symbols corresponding to the respective symbols on the designation strips of the plug-in units. These hooks, however, may also be provided with kerfs or notches which, for the purpose of assigning both the plug-in unit and the plug-in position, are provided with color-coded nipples of a plastics material which are in agreement with the colorcoded markings on the plug-in units.

For the purpose of avoiding the formation of electro-chemical elements between the different surfaces of the structural units, guide plates and/or metal type plug-in units, the latter, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, are provided with a correspondingly adapted surface.

The multiple holding arrangement is suitable for guiding and holding in position, by means of the two guide plates which are arranged sideway opposite each other in frames, cassettes or housings, a plurality of plug-in units inserted next to each other and independently of one another. The plug-in units are retained resiliently on their outer sides with a sufficiently tight seating, and can be replaced independently of one another. Insertion is effected in the proper position and without any auxiliary means, on guide ends adapted to effect the most precise contacting. Owing to the resilient elements it is possible to compensate for any appearing thickness tolerances on the inserting planes of the plug-in units, thus avoiding the efiects of sum tolerances. When correspondingly designing the edges of the plug-in units with the aid of metallization, the multiple holding arrangement can also be used for effecting a heat dissipation and a mass connection.

Moreover, there is still to be mentioned as an added advantage, the easy assignment of the plug-in unit to the plug-in position by way of symbols, color points or colored nipples made from a plastics material. The multiple holding arrangements also serve their purpose in the case of increased requirements, such as high acceleration, vibration, wide temperature range and changing climate. Further details and advantages may be taken from the following description of exemplified embodiments.

The invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a multiple holding arrangement in both a top and side view;

FIG. 3 shows one example relating to the mounting of the multiple holding arrangement;

FIG. 4 shows one detail of the multiple holding arrangement according to FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a modification of the multiple holding arrangement; and

FIG. 7 shows one detail of the multiple holding arrangement according to FIG. 5. i

The inventive multiple holding arrangement consists of two guide plates 1 of the same kind. Each of these guide plates 1 is provided with two rows of lamination-like resilient web portions 2. These web portions 2, in their middle, have widenings 3, the spacing between which corresponds to the admissible spring path. On the narrow sides of the guide plate 1 the respective first web portion 2 is of .a reinforced design, in order to safeguard a reliable holding in position. Moreover, the two rows of web portions 2 are pressed out of the plane of the guide plate 1, so that there will result the cross-section as shown in FIG. 2. The indentations 4 which are provided between the web portions 2, and in which there are inserted the plug-in units to be held in position, extend up to the mounting edges 5 of the guide plate I. In the mounting edges or rim portions 5 and, if so required, also in the lowered middle strip 6, there are provided holes 7. These holes 7 serve the mounting and may be provided with a passage and thread, or else may also be only cutout portions (e.g. the upper edge or rim portion in FIG. I). The division of the lamination-like web portions 2 from one another may be very tight, e.g. 3 to 4 millimeters.

For the purpose of avoiding electro-chemical elements when inserting the multiple holding arrangements in structural units, these may be provided with correspondingly selected surfaces. For example, if the housing of a structural unit consists of an aluminum alloy, it is appropriate to provide the guide plates 1 with a surface of chromium.

FIG. 3 shows how the guide plates lare arranged in a structural unit which is shown in a sectional! view. On two opposite side walls 8 of a housing 9 one guide plate 1 each is mounted by way of screws 10. The guide plates 1 are inserted in such a way that the pressed-out two rows of web portions 2 per guide plate 1 will freely project into the space or interior of the housing 9, facing one another. Into this structural unit there may be plugged-in a plurality of conductor boards with components, empty boards, HF dividers, or general types of plug-in units 11. At one edge these plug-in units 11, are provided e.g. with connector strips, and with this edge in front, the plug-in units 11 are inserted in the multiple holding arrangement in the direction as indicated by the arrow (FIG. 3). By providing the resilient web portions 2 there is avoided a back-lash or clearance, so that also the most smallest contacting elements, such as multi-polar connectors or soldering joints can be inserted in the corresponding opposite members without requiring any additional expenditure on guiding pins. The distance or spacing of the plug-in units 11 from one another, hence the packaging density, is only dependent upon the way of equipping the conductor boards, or other parameters, because the divisional spacing of the lamination-like web portions 2 in the guide plates 1 can be made so small that no unnecessary interspaces will result.

The plug-in units are followed in the housing 9 on the plugin side by a cabling and a strong mother plug, as well as by a cover of the housing 12 and, on the other side, by a flexible insert 13, a traverse 14 and a bottom plate 15.

FIG. 4 shows part of the structural unit with the inserted plug-in units 11 (view X in FIG. 3). Owing to the shape of the web portions 2, i.e. the widenings 3 which are provided in the center thereof, the resilient web portions 2, when inserting the plug-in units 11, are automatically protected by way of a mutual limitation, from being overstressed. Accordingly, the air gap existing between two oppositely arranged widenings 3, changes with the thickness of the plug-in units 11 as positioned in the adjoining indentations 4. Any appearing thickness tolerances are compensated for by this resilient effect of the web portions 2 up to the limit of the spring loadability. As may be taken from FIG. 4 sixteen resilient partial members of the web portions 2, and eight abutting surfaces 16 are available for each plug-in unit 11 in the multiple holding arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. shows a modification of the guide plate 1 as shown in FIG. 1. This guide plate 1 is likewise provided with two rows of lamination-like resilient web portions 2. The web portions 2 are provided with widenings 3 comprising abutting surfaces 16 pointing into the indentations 4. In the mounting edges or rim portions 5 as well as in the center or middle strip 6, there are provided holes 7 serving the later mounting in the structural units. The specially shaped cross-section, (the two rows of web portions 2 are pressed out,) may be taken from the showing of FIG. 6.

In addition, the one mounting edge or rim portion 5 is provided with some vent holes 17 consisting of fields of holes. In the built-in condition of the guide plates 1 these vent holes 17 will be congruent with the bore holes of the housing, so that there is enabled an inherent or compulsory ventilation. Moreover, the one mounting edge or rim portion 5 is again bent over, and the thus resulting bent portion 18 is divided into individual hooks 20 by the indentations 19. As may multiple taken from FIG. 7, each of these hooks 20 is provided with a kerf or notch 21 ending up in a sector of a circle. The center lines of the indentations 19 are in alignment with the center lines of the indentations 4, so that the hooks 20 are positioned between the plug-in units 11 as inserted in the indentations 4. Therefore, they may serve the identification of the plug-in units, in that into the kerfs or notches 21 there are inserted small color-coded nipples of a plastics material. In cases where the plug-in units 11 on their identification edge are likewise provided with color-coded points, there is enabled an easy and error-free assignment. The hooks 20 do not absolutely need to be provided with the kerfs or notches 21, but may also be provided with numerals, letters or other symbols on the then provided surfaces, corresponding to the respective symbols on the plug-in units and thus enabling the easy assignment.

What is claimed is:

l. A multiple holding arrangement for a plurality of plug-in units, including a structural unit and two guide plates mounted thereon, each plate comprising:

a plurality of pairs of resilient webs, each pair establishing an indentation for receiving each of said plug-in units, each of said indentations having a narrow central portion for engaging each said plug-in unit, that portion of said web adjacent the central portion of said indentation extending outward toward a similar web portion of an adjacent pair, whereby upon insertion of an improper plugin unit, the adjacent web portion abuts and touches the neighboring adjacent web portion prior to reaching the stretching limit of the stretched resilient web. 2. A multiple holding arrangement according to claim I,

wherein said guide plates have two mounting edges and an indented middle strip, said strip separating said pairs of webs into two distinct rows, and said mounting edges contain holes for ventilation.

3. A multiple holdingiarrangement according to claim 2;

wherein one of said mounting edges has a portion bent toward the other guide plate, said one edge containing cutout sections to form hook portions therebetween.

4. A multiple holding arrangement according to claim 3, wherein each hook contains a symbol to identify the correct position for said plug-in units.

5. A multiple holding arrangement according to claim 4, wherein each hook contains a notch for placing a color coded nipple of plastic material thereon.

6. A multiple holding arrangement according to claim I, wherein the surface of said structural unit consists of an aluminum alloy and the surface of said guide plates consists of chromium. 

1. A multiple holding arrangement for a plurality of plug-in units, including a structural unit and two guide plates mounted thereon, each plate comprising: a plurality of pairs of resilient webs, each pair establishing an indentation for receiving each of said plug-in units, each of said indentations having a narrow central portion for engaging each said plug-in unit, that portion of said web adjacent the central portion of said indentation extending outward toward a similar web portion of an adjacent pair, whereby upon insertion of an improper plug-in unit, the adjacent web portion abuts and touches the neighboring adjacent web portion prior to reaching the stretching limit of the stretched resilient web.
 2. A multiple holding arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guide plates have two mounting edges and an indented middle strip, said strip separating said pairs of webs into two distinct rows, and said mounting edges contain holes for ventilation.
 3. A multiple holding arrangement according to claim 2, wherein one of said mounting edges has a portion bent toward the other guide plate, said one edge containing cutout sections to form hook portions therebetween.
 4. A multiple holding arrangement according to claim 3, wherein each hook contains a symbol to identify the correct position for said plug-in units.
 5. A multiple holding arrangement according to claim 4, wherein each hook contains a notch for placing a color coded nipple of plastic material thereon.
 6. A multiple holding arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the surface of said structural unit consists of an aluminum alloy and the surface of said guide plates consists of chromium. 